As many of you know, or might know, I am a major fan of Rush bordering on the cusp of fanboi status. I've seen the band about 20 times in my life. My journey has included seeing the band during their Exit Stage Left tour at the Meadowlands in December 1981 through to their R40 tour last year at the Prudential Center.
So why am I sharing this?
For the last week or so, every time I log onto Facebook I am inundated with some ad for Michael Moore. What does Michael Moore have to do with Rush? Read on. Bear with me. Your jaw will drop when I get to the end!
So when I went to see Rush last year, my friend and I got to our seats about 30 minutes before the show. By the way, the seats were great! I had managed to finagle (Our original seats were in the 300 section of The Rock. I have my methods and they always work!) ourselves right next to the stage on Alex Lifeson's side. Check it out:
WOW! I thought to myself. How many teachers have been hoping, praying, willing to give up a child so that Michael Moore, the bane of the 1% and all that is bullshit, would take on our cause? Heck, back in 2010 after discussing this hope with an SBSB groupie I reached out by phone to one of Mike's producers, Rod Birleson, asking him, nay, imploring him, to let Mike know that all the stakeholders of education in the United States need Mike's involvement. Desperately.
So I decided not to pass up an opportunity.
I raced down, went up to Michael Moore and shared with him that I am a NYC teacher and that we in NYC, New York State, and across the country are hurting, that our students are hurting, and that our communities are hurting. Basically I was Princess Leia telling Obi-Wan that he was our only hope.
Mike listened and told me to get in contact with him. When I asked him how he told me through his agency, CAA. I thought fine, I can be tenacious at times. What harm can it do? But I was walking on air. I got to meet Michael Moore and it seemed that I had planted a seed in his head. He even agreed to a selfie with me (Shitty photo of me).
So later that week I decided to call CAA. It took me a few run arounds to find out who exactly represents Mike so I can leave a message with the right person (like a secretary). But eventually I found out who is agent is and when I did I knew I was lied to and I lost all respect for Michael Moore.
Michael Moore's agent is none other than Ari Emanuel. Yep, that Ari Emanuel, the brother of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. I knew then that Michael Moore doing anything for education is this country was never, ever, going to happen.
He is a man that has taken on General Motors, the NRA, health care, 9/11 and the Iraq war, the defense industry, and capitalism. He is, or appears to be, a man that has no fear at exposing those that are corrupt and in power. Heck, he is even taking on Donald Trump and don't be surprised if he comes out with a documentary about the 2016 elections.
But he will never take on nor expose how the powerful and Wall Street have corrupted education. Why? Because in this country the story how Wall Street and the politicians have screwed education starts at, and must include, Chicago and there is no way in hell that Michael Moore with do anything to make Ari's brother look like an incompetent putz.
This is the same reason why Michael Moore will not even touch Black Lives Matter, the use of force by police, or inner cities. Any reporting, any documentary must include the incompetence of Rahm Emanuel.
Michael Moore is nothing but a two bit, self serving con artist. Whatever is good for Michael Moore, to put him in the best light and to protect his friends his the direction Michael Moore follows.
In my heart of hearts I believe that Michael Moore has no core belief system and does come from the same mold has people like Donald Trump.
We as educators and community members need to stop hoping that Michael Moore gives a rat's ass. he does not and will not. Ever.
Michael Moore a man of the people? I laugh. If he were a man of the people he would have bought his seats for Rush off of Stub Hub or bought seats in the 300 section and did what I had done.
I am no fan at all of Rahm Emanuel. And while I've enjoyed a number of Michael Moore's movies, I can't see him as a savior because while he attacks many aspects of capitalism, he wants to reform it, not get rid of it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I can't see how you draw all the conclusions you have simply from who his agent is the brother of. That's like dismissing Jessica Mitford because her sister was a fascist.
Did you speak with Ari Emanuel? As far as I can tell from the blog you didn't since there's no report of what he said, or what you asked him to have Michael Moore do or say.
So, fuller report, please? Or an explanation of your remarks?
Even if you're dead ass wrong about Ari being the reason for Moore's silence on the attack against public education you're not wrong in saying that he absolutely refuses to touch it. Fuck him. He cherry picks his outrage. His 15 minutes were up years ago. P.s. Ever see the Trailer Park Boys episode where Ricky kidnaps Alex? Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteOf course I saw that episode! In fact it was the first TPB episode I had ever seen. I love them. I turned my 15 year old son on to them and he does a great Bubbles imitation. I was very disappointed with season 10
ReplyDeleteAs far as Moore, Ari and Rahm are likethis. I don't need the see the sun rise to know it rises in the East. But you're right, Moore hasn't lifted a finger. He never will.
And I've read about numerous well placed ed people who've attempted to engage him but he just plugs his ears and talks about the Koch Bros and ALEC. Kind of like that scumbag Weingarten does. All distraction.
ReplyDeleteI was speaking with a source who confidently told me the DOE is keeping the ATR pool because they need a reserve pool of educators including teachers, guidance counselors, social workers and secretaries fearing a huge shortage in the very near future. The ATR pool is being kept to have a "reserve" of educators when the huge shortage occurs. By having the Atr POOL THE DOE will be able dispense the pool to keep things going until the DOE can go overseas to recruit future educators. The situation is worse than any of us thought and the DOE is all over it. The result of the research has forced the DOE to keep the ATR pool as an insurance for the upcoming teacher shortage. So, when the shortage hits the ATR pool will be dispersed as the insurance the DOE needs to keep classrooms and social worker offices afloat. This makes perfect sense now and could possible explain why the DOE continued to keep the pool even after Bloomberg left. The data is pointing to a huge shortage if you look at education departments in higher education institutions. Translation, you better have insurance in the form of educators to fill the huge gaps that are feared to become a reality.
ReplyDelete